Chapter Eight: Making It Happen
"Get a move on, will ya? The car will be here in less than an hour!"
Pizzazz's
voice shrieked out across the cacophony of noise that was coming from
one
of the Gabor Mansion's biggest salons, a note of impatience in her tone
as
she surveyed the chaos before her. It had been the same since nine o
clock
that morning, when Eric had announced that he had scheduled a press
conference
for that afternoon and that it would be necessary to make sure 'his
girls'
as he labelled them dryly were all dressed and primped ready to have
their
photos taken. He had arrived at the Gabor Mansion early with the
contract
for Jetta to sign, and she had done so with a flourish, knowing now she
was
tied to the company and that she had some security in the United
States.
A buzz of excitement had washed over her as she had put pen to
paper...she
was going to be a star, and in less than twenty-four hours her name
would
be all over the American press. From a nobody to a somebody
overnight...she
could not have done it better if she had planned it that way.
Of course, the press conference had meant that the fashion designers
that
saw to the majority of the Misfit wardrobe had been called in, in order
to
ensure that Jetta herself was dressed in the right style and look for
the
cameras. This was something she had revelled in all the more, knowing
that
the music company was paying entirely for her new wardrobe she had had
great
fun picking and choosing her new outfits, before finally settling on
one
to wear before the American photographers. Now the focus was on makeup
and
hair and Pizzazz, who as usual had finished first was getting bored
with
waiting for her fellow bandmates to be ready.
"Cool out, Pizzazz. We got time yet." Roxy put in from where she was
adjusting
her necklace in front of the mirror. "Anyway, the press are gonna be
there
to see her." she jerked her head in Jetta's direction. "We
might as well wear paper bags over our heads, for all they'll care."
"They'll want to take pictures of us all, Roxy." Stormer chided,
straightening the skirt of her pink dress and beginning to carefully
apply her eyeliner. "The new Misfits, that's what Eric said. It's a big
publicity blitz for all
of us."
"You bet it is." Pizzazz nodded, fingering her own necklace
absent-mindedly. "Jetta, you ready yet? I'm gettin' bored waiting for
you all!"
"I'm done, Pizzazz. Relax." Jetta replied, setting down her eyeshadow
and
critically examining her hair in the mirror before turning to grin at
the
singer. "This is a buzz, you know...I ain't done a press conference
before."
"Of course you haven't. You're an amateur." Roxy snapped, cursing as
she
caught her finger on the clasp of her jewellery.
Jetta raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. Roxy had been sniping at her
since
the moment they'd met, and she was determined not to let it ruin her
big
day. She knew that much of this behaviour was jealousy, for the
attention
had been focused on the new star since they had met.
As for Pizzazz, as Stormer had rightly surmised, she had quickly found
in
Jetta a new ally of equal mischief and more than equal intelligence.
Pizzazz
was clever, there was no doubt about it, but Stormer had soon realised
that
Jetta was something else where intellect was concerned. Sharp witted
and
sharp tongued, she had gotten the better of Roxy's insults time and
time
again, frustrating the blond more and more as the night had worn on.
It was almost funny, Stormer mused, as she tucked her habitual flower
into
her curls of hair, how Pizzazz had changed, even in a short space of
time.
She had always been the aloof leader of the group in many ways, in
charge
but not companionable in the same way that Stormer had always felt a
companionship
with the difficult Roxy. But her attitude to the newcomer had almost
verged
on friendly, and Stormer had noted with interest that Pizzazz seemed
keen
to impress the newest Misfit as much as she could.
Jetta's reaction to Pizzazz was more difficult to read. The British
girl
was calm and collected about everything, not giving much of a hint to
what
she was thinking inside, but it seemed to Stormer that Jetta was
equally
drawn to Pizzazz's sense of mischief. Who would play the leader
remained
to be seen...Stormer's own feeling was that Pizzazz would not
relinquish
the title easily, but then again she had observed enough of Jetta's
manipulative
potential the night before to realise that there was no need for the
English
girl to take the crown.
If she wanted something her way, she knew how to get it without
upsetting the balance of power. Somehow Stormer knew she would be a
very dangerous person
to cross.
"There ain't nothin' to dealin' with the press." Pizzazz said airily at
that
moment, waving her hand dismissively to illustrate her point. "Bunch of
losers,
the lot of them. You just smile, answer their questions and make sure
they
know who the stars are, okay?"
"No problem." Jetta nodded her head. "Okay, so where exactly are we
goin'
for this conference thingy?"
"Misfit Music." Eric himself put in at that point from where he had
been
quietly sitting in the corner, going over paperwork as he tried his
best
to block out the band's squalling. "The auditorium there is perfect for
this
kind of stunt and you ought to see the music company as soon as is
humanly
possible. You girls do realise that we need to follow up this publicity
blitz
with a new single, don't you?"
"Relax, Eric, we got a new single." Pizzazz returned. "What do
you
think we were playin' last night, huh?"
"See to it that you do." Eric responded. "Because there's little point
in
making a big deal about a new member if there's no new music to go with
it!"
"Yeah, yeah." Pizzazz rolled her eyes. "C'mon, Jetta, let's leave these
losers
and go see if the car's arrived yet. It'd better be a big car..."
"It'll be big, Pizzazz, don't you worry about that." Eric rolled his
eyes.
"Yeah, it has to fit her head through the door." Roxy murmured to
Stormer, who giggled. Pizzazz glared at them, but, not hearing exactly
what Roxy had
said merely turned on her heel, stalking out of the room. Rolling her
eyes,
Jetta followed suit. In all truth Pizzazz's spoilt brat tendencies
amused
her no end, but of all of her bandmates she had found the singer's
company
the most appealing. Stormer she had easily dismissed as a wimp, though
in
future she would come to change her mind on that count, and Roxy she
had
decided was not only dumb but a nusiance, too. Pizzazz on the other
hand
had a sense of fun, and Jetta rightly guessed that life did not move
slowly
around the enterprising Miss Gabor.
"I don't like her." Once Jetta was gone, Roxy aired her views in no
uncertain
tones, tossing her makeup brush across the room with a scowl. "I don't
want
her in this band, Eric!"
"Well, she's signed the contract now, Roxy. It's kinda a done deal."
Eric
glanced up once more from his paperwork. Roxy's scowl deepened.
"So? She's trouble! We don't need her...can't you get rid of her?"
"What Pizzazz says, goes." Eric's tone was laced with irony. "To be
honest
with you, Roxy, the idea doesn't thrill me either. This girl has no
work
permit, the legal ramifications of that alone are ones I'd rather not
tangle
with."
"Legal wha?" Roxy looked blank.
"He means the consequences, Roxy." Stormer put in quietly. "What sort
of
ramifications, Eric?"
"Just take my word for it that it wouldn't be pretty for Misfit Music,
and
Jetta would undoubtedly be deported." Eric sighed. "More, I wish we
knew
more about her. Pizzazz was all for signing her before we even had a
name
for her...as it is I don't have her real name on file. She refused to
give
it to me."
"I can tell you that." Stormer responded. "It's Sheila Burns, Eric. I
found
that out at the hotel last night. But I don't think she likes it much
so...so
don't tell her I told you. I...I'm kinda scared of her."
"Don't be a doofy." Roxy snorted. "She's just some dumb Brit, Stormer.
You
gonna let her tell you what to do?"
"I...I guess not." Stormer lowered her gaze. "She does play good music,
though."
"Yes, there is that." Eric nodded. "At the risk of agreeing with Roxy,
though,
I have to say I think she might well be trouble, too. There's something
I
just don't like about her...and it makes me all the more uneasy to see
how
Pizzazz seems to have taken to her. It means she'll be all the more
difficult
to manage." He sighed heavily. "Sometimes I wish I'd never heard of you
girls.
You never fail to give me a headache."
"Charming!" Roxy exclaimed. "We're stars, Eric!"
"And who made you that way?" Eric raised an eyebrow. "Come on. The car
will
be here soon, and we've this press conference to do. I only hope things
will
go all right..."
PART ONE: SHEILA
Chapter One: Life in London
Chapter Two: The Saxophone
Chapter Three: A Friend In Need
Chapter Four: Never Again...
PART TWO: A DESIGNING WOMAN
Chapter Five: Sheila's Decision
Chapter Six: A Band In Crisis
Chapter Seven: First Night
Chapter Eight: Making It Happen
PART THREE: BACK IN THE CITY
Chapter Nine: The Misfits In London
Chapter Ten: On Every Screen...
Chapter Eleven: A Musical Reunion
Chapter Twelve: Jealousy
Chapter Thirteen: An Old Acquaintance
Chapter Fourteen: Doing London
Chapter Fifteen: Sabotage!
Chapter Sixteen: The Final Straw
Chapter Seventeen: Opening Night
Chapter Eighteen: Jetta
(The Misfits and Holograms and other animated Jem characters are copyrighted to Hasbro Inc. All characters who do not appear in Jem episodes are my own creation. This story is copyrighted to E.A Woolley (2001)